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The Riigikogu is the parliament of Estonia. Its 101 members are elected at general elections for a term of four years. The Riigikogu passes laws and resolutions, exercises parliamentary supervision and ratifies international agreements.

The Riigikogu has 11 standing commitees and 6 select committees. Commitees of investigation and study committees are formed to investigate issues of public interest or problems of significant imprtance.

Riigikogu passed Family Law Act

18.11.2009 / Sitting reviews

The Riigikogu passed three Acts and a Resolution:

The Family Law Act (543 SE), initiated by the Legal Affairs Committee, which provides a new comprehensive family law regulation, was passed with 86 votes in favour. It comprises matrimonial legal relationship, legal relationship between parents and children, and legal relationship arising between minors and adults in case of guardianship. The new Family Law Act enters into force as of 1 July 2010.

The Mediation Act (487 SE), initiated by the Government, which regulates the principles of conducting of the conciliation procedure in case of both conciliators who are natural persons and state or local government conciliation bodies operating in a permanent institutional form, was passed with 88 votes in favour. The Act regulates the conciliation procedure in civil matters.

The Act on Amendments to the State Fees Act (604 SE), initiated by the Finance Committee, was passed with 87 votes in favour. According to the judgment of the Supreme Court, the appeal committee at the Public Procurement Office is no longer at the same level with the court of the first instance but is an ordinary administrative authority. Submitting an appeal against a decision of the appeal committee is now deemed to be an ordinary appeal against an administrative act. Earlier, persons had recourse directly to the court of appeal, that is, the circuit court, for submitting an appeal against a decision of the appeal committee, whereas now they will have recourse to the court of the first instance, that is, the administrative court. Before the entry into force of the abovementioned decision of the Supreme Court, the person who contested a procurement paid a state fee in the amount of 10 000 or 20 000 kroons for submitting an appeal against a decision of the appeal committee; however, now it will be possible to file an appeal against such decision by paying a state fee in the amount of 250 kroons.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Approval of the Consolidated Report of the Economic Year of 2008 of the State” (577 OE), submitted by the Government, was passed with 70 votes in favour (1 abstention). The consolidated report consists of the management report and the annual accounts. The consolidated report also includes the audit report of the National Audit Office.

The Riigikogu decided (68 votes in favour, 1 abstention) to resume the deliberation of the Act on Amendments to the Defence Forces Service Act and Other Acts (535 UA) which the President of the Republic refused to proclaim. In the President’s opinion, the provisions of the Act which regulate restriction of the fundamental rights of conscripts are in conflict with the Constitution because restriction of the fundamental rights of conscripts is delegated to the Defence Forces and is thereby excluded from the scope of application of the Act. Both the National Defence Committee and the Constitutional Committee supported resumption of the legislative proceeding of the Act in the Riigikogu.

Riigikogu concluded second reading of coming year’s state budget Bill

The Riigikogu concluded the second reading of the State Budget of 2010 Bill (587 SE), initiated by the Government, and designated the term for submission of the motions to amend which is 24 November at 6 p.m. The planned volume of the budget expenditure is 89.6 billion kroons and the volume of the revenue is 84 billion kroons. 20 motions to amend were submitted for the second reading of the Bill, one of which was submitted by the Finance Committee on the basis of the proposals of ministries. It consists of several amendments which arise from structural changes, amendments to Acts and changing of the economic content of expenses. The remaining 19 motions to amend which proposed to increase allocations to local governments and cultural institutions, or for single area payment, complementary national direct payments or additional covering of the expenditure of the issues under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, etc., did not find the support of the Committee. “The Finance Committee is clearly of the opinion that the budget position should be improved rather than worsened in the parliament and that is why the motions to amend which proposed increasing of expenses in one or another sphere found no support,” said the Chairman of the Finance Committee Taavi Rõivas in explanation. A debate was held in the course of the second reading and numerous members of the opposition participated.

The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of eleven Bills and Resolutions:

the Bill on the Denunciation of the Agreement on the Baltic Common Transit Procedure between the Government of the Republic of Estonia, the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania Ratification Act (560 SE), initiated by the Government;

the Bill on the Repeal of the Agreement on the Baltic Common Transit Procedure between the Government of the Republic of Estonia, the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania Ratification Act (561 SE), initiated by the Government;

the Authorised Public Accountants Bill (488 SE), initiated by the Government;

the Bill on Amendments to the Water Act and Associated Acts (581 SE), initiated by the Government. The Estonian People’s Union Faction moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. The motion was not supported. The result of voting: 10 votes in favour, 48 against.

the Bill on Amendments to the Railways Act and the State Fees Act (573 SE), initiated by the Government;

the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Performance of the International Duties of the Estonian State in the Composition of the 14th Rotation of the NATO Response Force” (612 OE), submitted by the Government;

the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit of the Use of the Defence Forces in Performance of International Duties of the Estonian State under the Peacekeeping Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (613 OE), submitted by the Government;

the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit of the Use of the Defence Forces in Performance of International Duties of the Estonian State under the Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo” (614 OE), submitted by the Government;

the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit of the Use of the Defence Forces in Performance of International Duties of the Estonian State under the Peacekeeping Mission in Afghanistan” (615 OE), submitted by the Government;

the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit of the Use of the Defence Forces in Performance of International Duties of the Estonian State in Iraq” (616 OE), submitted by the Government.

At Question Time, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip answered the question about the situation of the Estonian economy, submitted by Toomas Varek. The Minister of Culture Laine Jänes answered the question about the fate of the Estonian cultural heritage, submitted by Mark Soosaar. The Minister of Defence Jaak Aaviksoo answered the question about the Victory Monument of the War of Independence, submitted by Toivo Tootsen, and the question about the procurements of the Ministry of Defence, submitted by Ester Tuiksoo.